Frenchtown News
January 2016
Happy New Year
Inclement Weather
New Year, Renewed Committments
As this New Year begins, let’s take the opportunity for reflection and a renewed commitment to goals. As you know, our goals for the school year at Frenchtown focus on full inclusion of all stakeholders in the process of continued school improvement. Over the past few years, faculty and staff members have joined forces with parent representatives to create action plans for
· Parental Involvement
· Partnership with PTG
· Wellness
· Hospitality
· Celebrations
· Academic Excellence
There is still time to join the work of these teams. Please feel free to contact Mrs. Vaughn for more information.
Morning Announcements
Our theme for January’s morning announcements will be “Stumbling Blocks or Stepping Stones with a focus on: Overcoming Obstacles, Doing our Personal Best, and Tools for Success
Upcoming Events:
January 13: PTG Meeting 6 p.m.
January 22: Quarter Ends
January 29: Report cards distributed
Blanket Donations
Brrrr!!! It’s Cold Outside!!!
How about giving a blanket or two to those less fortunate than you?
Please join the Second Graders at Frenchtown School in their collection for new or gently used blankets for the homeless in Rhode Island.
Please leave your donations in the marked boxes in the front of the building and in each pod.
Thank you, Alex Rickert!
Hour of Code
Library News:
In December students in Grade 2 participated in Hour of Code during their library classes. Extra technology time was added as well to go beyond the hour experience.
“The 'Hour of Code™' is a nationwide initiative by Computer Science Education Week [csedweek.org] and Code.org [code.org] to introduce millions of students to one hour of computer science and computer programming.”
We live in a world surrounded by technology and we know that whatever
field our students choose to go into as adults, their ability to succeed will increasingly hinge on understanding how technology works.
At Frenchtown School, we are working to introduce these foundational 21st century skills. Students were excited and engaged as they participated in this challenging and fun learning opportunity.
Please ask your students about their experience with coding.
Students can continue with coding at home by going to www.ricat.net
- Select Frenchtown School
- Find class under Hour of Code
- Select name
- Select password picture (learned at school)
SIT Wellness Subcommittee
Happy New Year to our Frenchtown families!
The SIT Wellness Subcommittee has been busy working to refine the recess/lunch experience. Last year we conducted a successful pilot program like those used in other schools and districts designed to enhance nutrition and follow “Best Practices”. Widespread research documents benefits including: increased intake of food, more vegetables and fruits consumed, fewer complaints of stomach ache during recess, increased interest/focus on food, and calmer transitions back to classwork. Since the start of this school year, all grades have been going to recess before lunch; with many adjustments made to maximize the amount of time students have to enjoy their meal. It has been remarkable to witness how the staff and our parent volunteers have been working together in this effort. We will continue to make changes based on feedback from staff, and invite you to be on the look-out for a parent survey via Listserve. The wellness subcommittee has also generated an updated outline of the roles/responsibilities for our volunteers, which we plan to introduce during an upcoming PTG meeting. In the meantime, we encourage you to consider packing handiwipes or personal hand sanitizer in your child’s lunchbox. While our protocol includes the use of the bathroom sink for handwashing or lining up to use purell, packing these items may help improve compliance and save time. Thank-you for assisting us during this transition process and please consider joining our team!
Helping your child with Common Core Math
In the classrooms:
Kindergarten:
Math:
Counting to 100 and representing quantities to 20
Newsletter:
Fundations
Fundations:
Tapping to read words
Decoding words
E/LA:
RL.K.4
Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.
Grade 1:
Math
First graders are continuing to use addition and subtraction within twenty to solve word problems and memorizing doubles and doubles plus 2 facts. First graders continue to use skip counting by 2, 5 and 10.
E/LA
First graders are going to begin to take formal written spelling tests weekly. These tests will be graded. The words will be taken from the weekly word wall words and the trick words from the fundations program.
Science
First graders have a new science kit called New Plants. They will grow plants from seeds, bulbs and cuttings. If you have any Ivy plants to donate to use as cuttings we would greatly appreciate it! We will send home a letter suggesting the types of plants that can make good donations.
Grade 2:
Math: Second grade students are gaining hands‐on practice measuring various objects
using rulers and yardstick. We will be measuring using both inches and centimeters.
E/LA: Students are enjoying trying out persuasive writing. Many have shared their own personal experiences they have had using their powers of persuasion on their parents.
Other:Stay tuned for information regarding a school‐wide blanket collection for the
homeless being initiated by the Second Graders.
Happy Birthday Frenchtown Friends!
For the week of January 11th:
January 17: Kendall C. and Gabrielle C.
Pennies for Patients
Once again, Frenchtown School is registered to support The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Pennies for Patientsprogram during the week of January 11th– 15th. Your child has a collection box in their classroom and are encouraged to bring in their coins during this time frame… every little bit counts! By collecting change, students will help people touched by blood cancers. In the 1960s, the survival rate for the most common form of childhood leukemia was 3%. Today it’s approximately 90% thanks to many research advances funded by the LLS. With the help of programs like this one, LLS has invested more than $1 billion in research to advance therapies that save lives. That includes more than $3,945,647.00 from Rhode Island. Thanks to you and your child in advance for helping LLS create a world without blood cancers.
Christine Carr Physical Education teacher